Commonwealth v. Hawkins

HOFFMAN, Judge:

Appellant challenges the lower court’s contempt order, arguing that he was justified in refusing to testify after being granted immunity because the Assistant District Attorney had threatened to prosecute him for perjury if his testimony failed to conform to his prior statement to the police. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the contempt order and judgment of sentence.

Appellant was called as a witness for the prosecution in the Commonwealth’s case against Ocíele Hawkins, who was charged with the December 18, 1978 murder of James Hughes. On January 8,1979, appellant gave a…